Classic Greek Gigantes Plaki

 Inspired by recipes found on Sweet C's and The Mediterranean Dish.

This classic Greek vegetarian favorite will have even carnivores smiling. :-) If you're confused by the name, join the club. LOL It turns out the beans used are large lima beans... same ones used in my Lima Bean & Sauerkraut Soup. This delicious Greek Gigantes Plaki is a savory bean dish that your whole family will love!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried Gigantes beans (large lima bean)
• 1 lg onion - chopped
• 4 garlic cloves - minced
• 2 med carrots - diced
• 2 celery stalks - diced
• 1 can (~15 oz) diced tomatoes 
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley - plus more for garnish
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
• kosher salt to taste
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup vegetable broth - more if needed
• feta cheese & extra virgin olive oil for garnish
• good rustic artesian bread - warmed ;-)

Preparation:

Get the beans going and then do the rest of the prep while they simmer.

How to cook raw lima beans:

Ingredients listed here are separate from recipe list

• 8 oz dried large white lima beans - rinsed and sorted
• 1 medium carrot - rough chopped
• 1 medium celery rib - rough chopped
• 1/4 yellow onion - rough chopped
• 4 garlic cloves - smashed
• a few glugs of olive oil
• sea salt to finish

Place beans, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic in a pot. Add filtered water to cover by two inches. Add olive oil. Boil for 15 minutes then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, usually 1-2 hours. Add salt to taste near the end of cooking. Pour mixture into a suitable strainer and reserve the cooking water.

Final Gigantes Plaki Assembly:

In a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, 5-7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices and the water. Season with another pinch of salt. Add the parsley, thyme, oregano, Aleppo pepper, black pepper, tomato paste, cinnamon, and bay leaf.

Stir in the drained, cooked bean mix and cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat. At this point, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Cover and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Finish the dish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of parsley, and a good sprinkle of feta. Serve with rustic bread.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Tuna Bonanza

So it looks like cooler weather is finally on its way.....

To celebrate the end of summer, I've prepared a tuna salad that has evolved over time

into a full meal that needs no bread. I got the original idea from one of my favorite recipe books,

The Coastal Table by Karen J. Covey, and made some changes and additions. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans solid white albacore tuna
• 2 hard boiled eggs - cut twice with egg slicer 
• 1 lge onion - chopped
• 1/2 cup scallions - cut in 1/4" sections
• 1 cup celery - 1/8" slices
• English cucumber - about a 10" section peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup large black pitted olives - cut in half
• 1 can (15oz) dark red kidney beans - rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup roasted & salted sunflower seeds
• Mayo, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (focus on the oil, not the mayo)
• 1 tomato - diced (optional and not shown in pics)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except for olives and beans and blend well. Carefully fold in olives and beans, being careful so they don't break.

This dish is packed with protein and goes real easy on the carbs, and the flavor levels from the many different ingredients and textures are sure to awaken your senses and affirm the arrival of spring and renewed life! :-) Plate in a nice bowl and serve... Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Portobello Marsala

Adapted from a recipe found on TWO SISTERS MIX IT UP 

Fresh baby Portobello mushrooms and shallots are simmered in a decadent Marsala wine sauce and served over wild rice or barley. This (possibly vegetarian) Portobello Marsala recipe has all of the traditional Chicken Marsala flavors but with the benefits of the nutritious plant powerhouse, Portobello Mushrooms, as the star of the show. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot - finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (vegetarian)
• 3/4 cup marsala wine
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan 
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley - chopped
• 1 cup canned peas
• 2 cups cooked wild rice or barley

Preparation:

Prepare rice/barley according to directions on the package.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add sliced Portobello mushrooms, season with salt & pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the skillet. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and sauté the shallot for 2-3 minutes.

Add the broth and the Marsala wine to the skillet and bring to a low boil. Continue to cook on a low boil for 10-12 minutes or until reduced.

Mix the corn starch with about 1/2 cup liquid from the pan. Add the corn starch mixture back into the pan along with the parmesan and stir with a whisk for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce just starts to thicken.

Add the mushrooms back to the pan along with the parsley and peas and cook for 1-2 minutes until everything is warmed through.

Serve each serving over about 1/2 cup wild rice.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

 

Quick & Easy Chicken Chili

I found this recipe using beef more than ten years ago on the back of a can of Progresso kidney beans. It looked so simple I just had to try it. It has since become my base for many fun chili dishes, including this version that uses ground chicken breast. Everyone should make chili their own... This recipe is a good jumpstart and you can add just about anything you like to suit your flavor pallet! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb ground chicken breast
• 2/3 cup chopped onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans, undrained (make 1 can cannellini if you like)
• 1 28oz can whole tomatoes in puree, cut up
• Tomato paste (if needed)
• 3 - 4 ½ tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp or 2 cubes instant chicken bouillon
• 1 tbsp dried parsley ( or ¼ cup fresh copped)
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Scallions for garnish

In chili circles this one is flavorful, but considered quite mild. Add seasonings of your choice for more heat.

Preparation:

1: Brown chop meat with onions and garlic over medium heat with a bit of olive oil until meat is fully cooked. Drain.

2: Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

3: Simmer over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

4: Serve with barley cooked in chicken stock and garnish  with scallions or any of the fun things you enjoy. Parsley, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado… In other words, make this dish your own. 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Weekend Ramble: "The Health-Food Diner" by Maya Angelou

 

No sprouted wheat and soya shoots
And Brussels in a cake,
Carrot straw and spinach raw,
(Today, I need a steak).

Not thick brown rice and rice pilaw
Or mushrooms creamed on toast,
Turnips mashed and parsnips hashed,
(I'm dreaming of a roast).

Health-food folks around the world
Are thinned by anxious zeal,
They look for help in seafood kelp
(I count on breaded veal).

No smoking signs, raw mustard greens,
Zucchini by the ton,
Uncooked kale and bodies frail
Are sure to make me run

to

Loins of pork and chicken thighs
And standing rib, so prime,
Pork chops brown and fresh ground round
(I crave them all the time).

Irish stews and boiled corned beef
and hot dogs by the scores,
or any place that saves a space
For smoking carnivores.

--------------------------------------------------------

I came across this poem and thought... wow... this so true for much of the world these days. Food choices have become very personal. They can be disease related, weight related or simply driven by a belief system of personal choice.

I'm a diabetic who loves food. I will readily admit... I love foods that are bad for me, and I choose to not eat them. It's a rational choice and decision that I must make every day. 

That daily choice is what keeps me alive and moderately healthy. I've now outlived my father by 15 years and love that I get to spend time with my adult sons because of choices I've made.

I created this blog to help diabetics understand that our disease is not the end of the world. We can live well with our disease if we take the time to understand its components. I'm no medical doctor, but I understand glycemic indexes and glycemic loads. I do my best to create dishes that follow my knowledge. Will they always be perfect for a diabetic? No. Will they steer diabetics in the right direction? Almost always.

I'm also a heart patient with three cardiac stents. My cardiologist and my very smart wife convinced me to give up most red meats because of what they do to my system. My blog still features red meat dishes...why? Well, because not everyone is a heart patient and not everyone's system goes into a tailspin when they eat red meat. By the way, I still eat red meat once or twice a month under cardiologist "orders". :-)

My goal for the last decade has been to create good, healthy dishes for all with a lean toward helping fellow diabetics the most.

Thank you to all of you who have expressed appreciation and understanding regarding my handling of a culinary love for excellent food, even if it is somewhat bridled by a disease that affects roughly 1/3 of the population.

Let's cook... let's eat... let's love the world of food!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for your support!

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

                                                            Chef Michael R

Spanish-style Mountain Beans

 Credit for this dish goes to Chef Valentine Warner at The Guardian

Chef Warner posted this delicious recipe to be made easily while camping. I haven't gone camping in years, but it seems the dish works quite well in my kitchen at home, too. ;-) Enjoy!

Prep 15 min - Cook 30 min -Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp good olive oil
• 4 garlic sausages - skinned, meat broken into chunks
• 1 medium onion - peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper - diced – red works, too, if your system doesn’t like the green
• 1 big pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (I know it sounds odd, but trust me)
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 large garlic cloves - peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 can cannellini beans - 15.5 oz
• 1/3 cup tart cider
• 1 fresh medium tomato - halved
• 1 big handful Swiss chard leaves – chopped - or nettles, sorrel or wild garlic, depending on the season
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the sausage meat for about seven minutes, until well browned all over, then scoop out on to a plate.

Fry the onion and green pepper in the remaining fat in the pan for 15 minutes, until they’re totally, undeniably soft, then stir in the oregano, cinnamon and paprika. 

Add the sliced garlic, return the sausage meat to the pan and cook gently for another minute or so, then tip in the beans and their tin juices and the cider (or water). 

Bring to a simmer, then lay in the tomato halves cut side down and leave to bubble gently for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the skins can be easily pinched off. 

By this stage, the consistency of the bean mix should creamy but not too thick – it should be able to slide slowly off a plate.

Stir in the chopped chard, cook for a minute or two until wilted, then season with just enough lemon juice to give it an edge. Add salt & pepper to taste,  and serve with a cold cider.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Baked Salmon & Chef Michael's Shrimp Sauce

Experimenting with salmon is always fun. My shrimp alfredo is a wonderful sauce, but it can be a tad heavy depending on the mood of the day. I saw Cream of Shrimp condensed soup at the grocer one day and thought... Hey... worth a shot! :-) Combined with fresh tomato and some sherry etc., this turned into yet another winner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon filets - skinless ~6 oz each
• 1 can cream of shrimp condensed soup
• 1 tomato – cut up
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• fresh basil - handful
• ~1/4 cup sherry – use to rinse can and add to soup
• 12 large raw shrimp – peeled, deveined, tail off and cut in thirds

Preparation:

Season the salmon filets with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake or air fry at 390 for 8-9 minutes.

Defrost shrimp and cut into thirds. Set aside.

Add tomato, basil and garlic to a blender and liquefy. Maybe add a splash of sherry so the stuff is just pourable. Empty Cream of  Shrimp into sauce pan and blend with the tomato mix. Warm this while stirring with a whisk and add just enough sherry to make it a gravy that sticks and isn't too runny. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Finally add the cut shrimp, simmer 1-2 minutes to cook the shrimp and serve over your favorite plain baked or steamed fish. We love this sauce with baked salmon, and it pairs really well with green beans or asparagus.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Mediterranean Chicken Bowl

Adapted from a recipe found on happydiabetic.com

This lovely creation is yet another way to use my Homemade Chicken Breast Cold Cuts or, for a different texture, my Versatile Shredded Chicken Breast . Either way this meal is bound to delight everyone around the table. Enjoy!

• Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large white button mushrooms - sliced
• half each red and yellow bell pepper - sliced to 1.5" long sticks
• 1 average tomato diced
• ½ red onion sliced or diced - your call
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 4-5 oz of cut up asparagus - 1.5" pieces
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic
• 8 ounce skinless precooked chicken - sliced or shredded
• 14 black olives - pitted and cut in half lengthwise
• 15 oz can cannellini beans - drained
• fresh ground black pepper to taste - 4-5 twists 
• sea/kosher salt to taste
• 1 fresh lime - quartered for table serve

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and fresh garlic.

Lower heat, add vegetable stock, oregano, rosemary, and basil. Carefully fold in the diced tomatoes, beans and olives.  

Simmer for about 5 minutes with an occasional toss. Cook over low heat until chicken is nice and hot. Season with fresh ground black pepper and some sea/kosher salt to taste and add a generous squeeze of lime.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Creamy Chicken Tenders with Mushrooms & Asparagus - A Chef Favorite

 My wife made yummy noises... Need I say more? :-)

Okay maybe I need to say just a little more...

This dish is another of my originals that turned out so damn good I am calling it another

Signature Dish right alongside my Chicken Fried Barley & Spinach.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1.25 lbs chicken tenders
• Wondra Flour seasoned to your liking
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion, cut your way and caramelized
• 1 bunch asparagus, broken Ted Allen Style and cut up
• 8 oz white or baby port mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can unsalted cream of mushroom condensed soup
• 5+ oz whole milk
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• salt & pepper to taste
• chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Season the flour to your liking and coat chicken. Heat avocado oil and fry tenders in a large skillet until just done using medium high heat. Set chicken aside and cover to keep warm.

Break asparagus by hand… Ted Allen Style. I learned this tip from Ted on the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Hold one stalk in both hands and bend it until it snaps. The spot where it snaps is where the stringy section at stalk bottom ends.

Add onions to the chicken skillet with some salt and caramelize over medium heat. Add cut up asparagus and toss a few times as asparagus cooks through. Add mushrooms and a little olive oil if needed.

Once mushrooms are cooked add condensed soup plus ~5 oz or half the soup can of whole milk along with the paprika. Shake milk in can to get all the C.O.M. 

Blend and heat… taste and add salt & pepper as desired. Gently lay chicken tenders into sauce, cover and simmer to heat chicken through… 2-3 minutes should do it. 

Garnish with parsley and serve.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!